Material application to fishing lures possessing temperature sensitive chromaticity vicissitude creating a color changing fishing lure or rubber bait

ABSTRACT

A process where materials are applied to a plastic fishing lure surface, producing a lure that possesses chromatic vicissitude as a result of water temperature fluctuations. A non-thermochromatic base layer of one or more colors is applied to the plastic fishing lure. This layer acts as the visual appearance of the fishing lure in the absence of temperature fluctuations. Clear extender is then used as an additive to the thermochromatic ink. This addition to the ink then allows the ink to be sprayed onto the surface of the lure. This ink-extender amalgam can be applied in multiple layers however the bottom layer must have the least amount of hue saturation. Each layer thereafter would increase in hue saturation. Multiple hue combinations can be utilized. Once the desired number of thermochromatic layers has been applied, an ultra-clear super high gloss lacquer finish is sprayed on to the exterior of all layers.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application No.13/316,417, filed Dec. 9, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,113,618, whichclaims the benefit of and priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S.Patent Application No. 61/422,152, filed Dec. 11, 2010, entitled“Material Application to Fishing Lures Possessing Temperature SensitiveChromaticity Vicissitude Creating a Color Changing Fishing Lure orRubber Bait,” each of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety.

SUMMARY

This invention relates to the unique process by which a thermochromaticink is applied the surface of a plastic fishing lure.

A process where materials are applied to a plastic fishing lure surfaceis performed, producing a lure that possesses chromatic vicissitude as aresult of water temperature fluctuations. A non-thermochromatic baselayer of one or more colors is applied to the plastic fishing lure. Thislayer acts as the visual appearance of the fishing lure in the absenceof temperature fluctuations. Clear extender is then used as an additiveto the thermochromatic ink. This addition to the ink then allows the inkto be sprayed onto the surface of the lure. This ink-extender amalgamcan be applied in multiple layers however the bottom layer must have theleast amount of hue saturation. Each layer thereafter would increase inhue saturation. Multiple hue combinations can be utilized. Once thedesired number of thermochromatic layers has been applied, anultra-clear super high gloss lacquer finish is sprayed on to theexterior of all layers.

The employment of thermochromatic inks to produce color changing effectshas been previously utilized on fishing lures. These previous useshowever, have employed the application to the entirety of the lure. Theresult of this previous application is blocks of color. As it iscommonly understood, fishing lures are designed with the purpose ofresembling and moving like the prey of a fish. As the prey of fish neverappears in nature as blocks of color, this is problematic for thefisherman who is attempting to employ lures that have the maximum degreeof authenticity.

This particular process however, enables application in a manner thatproduces a gradient effect in addition to the chromatic vicissitude;that is more like that seen in nature, ergo, more life-like.Thermochromatic inks cannot be sprayed onto to a surface without theaddition of a thinning agent due to its thick viscosity. It would standto reason then that a process that allows the ink to be sprayed on in agradient pattern, versus a solid, achieves a more accurately realisticfinish. This results in attaining the design objectives of a fishinglure with exactitude and realism. Aspects of the invention are directedtoward:

-   -   1. A plastic fishing lure having materials applied to it in such        a manner that result in temperature sensitive chromatic        vicissitude and design required exactitude and realism.    -   2. The fishing lure of aspect 1, wherein a base or ‘primer’        layer of non-thermochromatic coating is applied to the plastic        body of the fishing lure in preparation for the application and        bonding of a thermochromatic ink layer.    -   3. The thermochromatic ink of aspect 2 is mixed with a clear        extender resulting in an ink-extender amalgam.    -   4. The ink-extender amalgam of aspect 3 is then applied to the        fishing lure of claim 1 in a sprayed on gradient on top of the        bonding layer of claim 2. This layer enables thermochromatic        sensitivity to water temperature variations and provides the        optic achievement of fish prey realism.    -   5. The ink-extender amalgam of aspect 3 is applied in one or        more layers with the bottom layer being of least amount of hue        saturation and each additional layer increasing with hue        saturation. Each layer possessing a different temperature        sensitivity.    -   6. Upon completion of the layers of aspect 5, the fishing lure        of claim 1 has a final layer of ultra clear super high gloss        lacquer finish sprayed upon it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary fishing lure in accordance with anaspect of the invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-section of a surface of the fishing lurecoated with one base layer of non-thermochromatic ink and multiplelayers of thermochromatic ink of different colors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a standard fishing lure that will bespray coated with multiple layers of thermochromatic ink-extenderamalgam and a single base layer of non-thermochromatic coating. Althoughstandard fishing lures come in various sizes, shapes, and hardness, theywill be coated with similar gradient patterns and designs.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary fishing lure 10. The fishing lure 10 includesan upper body 1. The exemplary fishing lure includes eyes 20, mouthlines 30, gill lines 40, fins and scale markings and one or more hooks50.

The upper body 1 of the top portion 60 of the fishing lure 10 will becoated with a thermochromatic ink-extender amalgam in a gradientpattern. The gradient pattern will start solid and will fade in opacityas the coating traverses the body of the lure. The gradient effect willstop halfway to two-thirds of the way down the body of the lure. Thegradient effect on the lure will consist of multiple layers ofthermochromatic ink-extender amalgam and one non-thermochromatic layerof different colors. The layering of the gradient pattern will allow thelure to possess color changing properties in response to watertemperature changes.

Further details will be added to the standard lure such as the eyes 20,mouth lines 30, gill lines 40, fins and scale markings, etc., usingnon-thermochromatic ink for a more realistic effect. Using these detailson the lure 10, in addition to the color changing gradient effect, willallow the lure to resemble actual prey to predator fish.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section of the surface of a standard fishinglure coated with one base layer of non-thermochromatic ink and multiplelayers of thermochromatic ink of different colors.

-   Label 3 shows a cross section of the bottom layer of the top portion    of a standard fishing lure. This layer will be coated with a layer    of non-thermochromatic ink and will be the base layer of the fishing    lure.-   Label 4 shows a layer of thermochromatic ink-extender amalgam on top    of the base layer 3 that will be transparent or solid depending on    the temperature of the water. If this ink-extender amalgam layer is    in the transparent state then it will expose the base    non-thermochromatic layer. If this layer is in the solid state then    it will cover the base non-thermochromatic layer.-   Label 5 shows a layer of thermochromatic ink-extender amalgam on top    of another ink-extender amalgam layer that will be transparent or    solid depending upon the temperature of the water. If this amalgam    layer is in the transparent state, then it will expose the    underlying amalgam layer. If this layer is in the solid state, then    it will cover the underlying amalgam layer. Each    thermochromatic-extender layer will react at a different temperature    than the previous or underlying thermochromatic-extender layer.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A fishing devicecomprising: a fishing lure comprising a body; the body comprising a baselayer of non-thermochromatic ink; a first ink layer provided over thebase layer, the first ink layer comprising a first thermochromatic ink,wherein the first thermochromatic ink is provided in a gradient pattern,wherein the first thermochromatic ink changes in opacity as the firstthermochromatic ink traverses the body, and wherein the thermochromaticink is provided on a portion of the body and a remainder of the bodycomprises a non-thermochromatic ink; and one or more of eyes, mouthlines, gill lines, fin markings and scale markings on the bodycomprising non-thermochromatic ink; wherein the thermochromatic inkcomprises a transparent ink at a first temperature, and thethermochromatic ink reveals a second ink layer at said firsttemperature.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the second ink layercomprises the base layer.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein thethermochromatic ink is mixed with a clear extender resulting in anink-extender amalgam.
 4. The device of claim 1, further comprising athird ink layer comprising a thermochromatic ink.
 5. The device of claim4, wherein a bottom layer is of a least amount of hue saturation andeach additional layer increases with hue saturation, and each layerpossesses a different temperature sensitivity.
 6. The device of claim 1,further comprising a top layer of ultra clear super high gloss lacquerfinish.
 7. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more hooks.8. The device of claim 1, wherein the gradient pattern stops one or moreof halfway to two-thirds of a way down the body of the lure.
 9. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein a base layer of the fishing lure consists ofnon-thermochromatic ink.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein a portion ofthe base layer is visible depending on whether the first ink layer issolid or transparent.
 11. The device of claim 1, wherein each ink layerreacts at a different temperature.
 12. The device of claim 1, whereineach ink layer reacts at a different temperature than an underlying inklayer.
 13. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first andsecond ink layers is transparent.
 14. The device of claim 1, wherein atleast one of the first and second ink layers is opaque.
 15. The deviceof claim 1, wherein the base layer provides a visual appearance of thefishing lure in an absence of temperature fluctuations.
 16. The deviceof claim 1, wherein each ink layer has a different hue saturation.
 17. Afishing lure comprising: a body; a base layer coating the body, the baselayer comprising a non-thermochromatic ink of a first color; a pluralityof thermochromatic ink layers provided on the base layer, each of theplurality of thermochromatic ink layers being of a different color thanthe base layer; at least one of the plurality of thermochromatic inklayers provided in a gradient pattern, the gradient pattern comprising achange in opacity along the body and wherein a first thermochromatic inklayer extends over a portion of the body such that only a portion of thefirst thermochromatic ink layer comprises a color changing effect inresponse to temperature change of the body; and one or more of eyes,mouth lines, gill lines, fin markings and scale markings innon-thermochromatic ink.
 18. The device of claim 17, wherein thegradient pattern stops one or more of halfway to two-thirds of a waydown the body of the lure.
 19. The device of claim 18, wherein a portionof the base layer is visible depending on whether the thermochromaticink layers are solid or transparent.
 20. A fishing lure devicecomprising: at least one hook; a body; a base layer coating the body,the base layer comprising a first color non-thermochromatic ink; aplurality of thermochromatic ink layers provided on the base layer,wherein each of the plurality of thermochromatic ink layers are adifferent color than the first color; at least one of the plurality ofthermochromatic ink layers provided in a gradient pattern on the baselayer, the gradient pattern changing in opacity along the body andwherein a first thermochromatic ink layer extends over a portion of thebody such that only a portion of the first thermochromatic ink layercomprises a color changing effect in response to a temperature change ofthe body; and one or more of eyes, mouth lines, gill lines, fin markingsand scale markings in non-thermochromatic ink.